Systems Engineeringat University of Virginia-Main Campus
Graduates earn $91,178/yr in their first year — about 21.0% above the national Systems Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,107K; scenarios range from $884K to $1,172K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Virginia
Your decision to pursue Systems Engineering at UVA places you within a highly-regarded program at an elite institution, which naturally translates into strong career prospects. The interdisciplinary nature of systems engineering, combining elements of engineering, business, and project management, is highly valued across diverse sectors. You'll find graduates excelling in the defense industry, particularly given UVA's proximity to the large contractor presence in Northern Virginia and D.C., as well as in tech, consulting, and finance, where your problem-solving and optimization skills are critical. This robust demand from top-tier employers, often recruited directly from campus, underpins the strong financial outcomes. However, the field's focus on efficiency and automation means some routine tasks face significant AI disruption. To future-proof your career, actively cultivate skills in human-AI collaboration, ethical system design, and complex, unstructured problem-solving that AI cannot easily replicate.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Virginia's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Systems Engineering
How University of Virginia stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Virginia
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Virginia, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Systems Engineering at University of Virginia
What does a 74/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Systems Engineering at University of Virginia-Main Campus?
At 74/100, this is a high-performing program. The DegreeOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.
Should I worry about AI if I study Systems Engineering at University of Virginia-Main Campus?
The 56% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.